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Square (The) AKA Al midan
R2 - United Kingdom - Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (16th July 2014). |
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The Film
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** The Square offers a truly unique insight into the human stories behind the political and social upheaval of revolution. Filmed on the ground during the Egyptian uprising, The Square explores far beyond the million man marches and bloody battles shown on international news, and is a truly immersive experience, transporting the viewer deeply into the intense emotional drama and personal stories never normally heard. It is the inspirational story of young people claiming their rights and struggling through multiple forces: from a brutal army dictatorship willing to crush protestors with military tanks, to the corrupt Muslim Brotherhood using mosques to manipulate voters. A multiple festival award winner and Oscar nominated documentary, The Square is an unmissable insight into the heart of the Arab Spring.
Video
Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment have released the documentary "The Square" on to DVD for British audiences at an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The transfer has been anamorphically enhanced, and considering the majority of footage is filmed off-the-cuff, looks pretty good, even if it does have some mild flaws. There are two sides to the transfer here as with most documentaries. On the first side, we have the pre-set interview scenes, which can be set up to allow for possible lighting problems and have less problems than the second side. That second side are scenes which are filmed on the move, often capturing footage that wasn't necessarily intended. As these scenes are filmed as they happen, they do waver slightly when it comes to the overall quality. A couple of moments in the documentary have a little blooming, and some light banding can be seen in the skyline at times. Detail isn't always as sharp, and some background items can feel imperceptibly out of focus. Despite these negligible quandaries, there is no need to fret though; the improvement in modern technology makes these shots far superior than documentaries with similar shooting environments from previous years. The documentary is uncut, in PAL format, and runs 103:57.
Audio
There are two audio options available here: - Arabic/English Dolby Digital 5.1 - Arabic/English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo For my own viewing, I opted for the Arabic/English Dolby Digital 5.1 track, which, for a documentary, has been surprisingly well mixed. The score by Jonas Colstrup and H. Scott Salinas makes full affective use of the entire sound field, especially surrounds, whilst the sound design team have been careful to ensure nothing is taken away from the seriousness of the subject on hand. Despite the way some of the feature is shot (off-the-cuff), dialogue is clear 99.8% of the time, and volume levels consistent and stable. I noticed no damage to the track such as drop outs or scratches, and I detected no signs of background hiss. Optional English subtitles have been provided, but only covers the Arabic and some of the more broken English. Roughly 5-10% of the film is unsubtitled.
Extras
A disappointing and basic selection. Start-up Trailers: - "Battle Company Korengal" (1:35) - "Which Way Is the War From Here?" (0:46) Theatrical Trailer (2:34)
Overall
A must-see documentary of a historically important event in world history. It comes on a technically efficient disc, but the unfortunate lack of extras is a vexatious drawback.
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